Tampines residents frustrated by longer bus waiting times, Baey Yam Keng meets with Go-Ahead Singapore management to discuss
Tampines residents complained to Member of Parliament (MP) Baey Yam Keng over longer bus waiting times since Go-Ahead Singapore (GAS) took over services.
On Sunday (13 Sept), Mr Baey said that he met with GAS top management to convey the concerns.
Source: Baey Yam Keng on Facebook
Tampines residents complain of unpredictable daily journeys and bus bunching
On 5 July, SBS Transit bid farewell to Tampines after serving the town for over 40 years.
They handed the Tampines Bus Package, consisting of 29 bus services, over to GAS.
GAS previously won the contract to run the Tampines routes after a S$646 million bid.
Source: Go-Ahead Singapore on Facebook
However, the transition hasn’t been smooth as Tampines residents complained about less predictable bus journeys since GAS took over in July.
They alleged longer waiting times and buses arriving at stops together, also known as bus bunching.
Mr Baey and his grassroots leaders met with GAS top management to raise residents’ concerns directly.
“GAS acknowledged the transition issues,” he said.
40% of Go-Ahead Singapore bus captains serving Tampines are new
Mr Baey explained that GAS is facing two major challenges.
Firstly, about 40% of GAS bus captains responsible for the service are new. As a result, they need time to familiarise themselves with the routes and operations.
Source: Baey Yam Keng on Facebook
“GAS also assured us that it is strengthening training and support for its bus captains,” Mr Baey stated.
Secondly, GAS parks, cleans, and maintains its buses at a new depot in East Coast.
According to Mr Baey, bus captains have also had to make “some adjustments” with the new depot.
He said that this could not only affect their work performance but may also indirectly affect services.
Baey Yam Keng working closely with Go-Ahead Singapore and LTA to improve bus service
Regardless of the challenges, Mr Baey stated that what mattered were real and visible improvements for commuters.
We proposed targeted monitoring at key bus stops to establish actual waiting times, identify recurring delays and bus bunching, and guide the necessary corrective actions.
Source: Baey Yam Keng on Facebook
Mr Baey promised to follow up closely with GAS and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and continue tracking affected services.
He thanked the residents for sharing their experiences.
MS News has reached out to Go-Ahead Singapore for their comments on the issue.
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Featured image adapted from Go-Ahead Singapore on Facebook and Baey Yam Keng on Facebook.
